The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-09-15
The Agricultural Situation,

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: The
Farmers of Waldo County, and of the rest of
the state, are just now in query TO know
what to do with the abundant hay and grain
crops, which are very much above the average
taking into consideration the second crop which
we have never seen surpassed, our hillsides
and valleys having the appearance of full
grown hay field.
Two classes of stock we think can be kept at
an advantage and profit, namely, cows and
sheep. The low price of beef makes the pro-
duction of that commodity losing business;
yet no one knows how soon the markets will
change and beef take boom. This we predict
will come about in the course of time when
the great western prairics are cut up into
homes for the countless millions who are flock
Ing to our States. However, several wears NAV
eapse before the cattle on those boundlcss plains
become exhausted or so reduced as to check
the supply. Meanwhile the Farmers of Maine
must study the question of supporting them
selves on their farms, which is quite problem
under the regime of low prices for all farm
products.
Why we think dairyng will pay for the next
year to come is that we look for all dairy pro-
ducts to boom on account of severe drought
that has devastated large section of the West,
taking in several States that are largely engaged
i'll this business. This evidently must shorten
up the supply. Receiving an order this week
from farmer IN the State of Connecticut for 20
Maine cows, having furnished the same party
with the same number last season, wish to
place the whole transaction before the farmers
OF waldo county and see if they cannot profit
by the details. | furnished this party with
twenty Maine cows, none to be over five years
old, with good points, not over large--what are
known as store cows; those that had been milk
ed all summer-at $50 each and delivered them
in Brighton. They cost In Maine S15 to Sis.
Such animals can be bought now at the same
nSures. The Connecticut man invested 800
IN twenty head and took them home and turned
them into his second crop. lie then bought Il
sufficient number of young calves to take their
milk and between Sept LIST and JAN LIST he sold
Oft $50 worth of veal, which always brings a
good price at that season. of the wear. Then
the COWS We're dried off and set to come in in
September and October. They were wintered
IN careless way, not tied up, having the run
of a barn cellar, stacks of corn fodder, straw.
and plenty of pure water. OF course they
were thin in the spring, but on being turned to
pasture they gained very rapidly and were sold
last week. a nice lot of springs, at $40 each:
giving the purchaser good handsome margin
for his rough fodder and use of money and
trouble, and retaining the dressing, a very
essential part for the further enrichment of his
farm.
Now We know that many of our farmers
could make money out of just such an opera
ton. as cows coming in in the fail months are
always 10 demand at good prices.
TO make sheep pay best we would not rec
ommend anything but high feed. ANY farmer
who will start i'll with good large sized lot of
sheep in good condition and VIII feed them on
early cut hay and give them one quart of corn
per day all through the winter, whether they
lamb early or late, we think will be pleased
with the results of his operation. He will
have no trouble with sick sheep, as corn is a
great remedy for the many ills incident to
f1ocks of sheep wntcrcd by careless farmers.
In breeds of sheep we prefer Shropshire
Downs, Oxford Downs, or South Downs, al
though many of the native sheep now kept in
Waldo county are just as good In regard to
breeds of cows the IIolstein or Dutch COW
stands far ahead as a heavy mixer and is more
desirable for the milk men of Massachusetts.
though not so good for butter as the jersey
They attain to a larger size. are very quiet
give choice milk in large quantities. and are
conceded the best cheese cows in the world
1t is our opinion that if these store animals
were kept at home instead of being thrown ON
market where they bring very little. and our
hay and grain We're fed to them intcll;rentlv
more money would be made all very much
more satisfaction gained in keeping up the fer
Utility Of our farms than selling hay at what
must be 4 low price this season OF account Of
the larger crop. and thus to nc selling BY inches
to Boston markets our homes. the heritage
handed down by our ancestors.